Promise Me
by shortbutsweetmont4
Summary: Fast-forward to the future to when Amy has the baby. What does live have in store for her? Lame summary, I know...I'm really bad at them. But just read it, please! Chapter 13 up! Story on hiatus till further notice.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Secret Life story...I don't own this show or any of the characters. I also don't own the song "I Will Be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman.**

Amy sobbed into her sister's shoulder as another contraction hit. Ashley rubbed her back as Amy cried.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked.

Amy sighed. "I just need Ben." She whispered, her voice breaking. She had broken up with Ben a couple weeks earlier, and regretted it every second. "I don't even know if he'll come…but I need him here."

Her mom knocked on the door.

"How are you honey?"  
Amy sighed. "Is that a trick question?"  
Her mom smiled sympathetically. "Ricky's here."  
"God…who called him?"  
"I did. Amy…I thought he should know that you're in labor! Don't you?"  
"No. I told you, Mom. I talked to him…I want nothing to do with him. He doesn't love me or the baby. So just tell him to get lost."  
"Ashley…come on." Her mom said, motioning for her to join her in the hallway.

"Don't worry Ames…I'll call Ben." Ashley said, patting her shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too, Ashley." Amy smiled a little as her mom and sister walked out the door. Amy shut her eyes just as she heard another knock at the door. It opened slowly and she saw Ricky peek in.

Amy sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I should be here when my baby is born."

"Your baby? _Your _baby? Ricky…you don't care. Just get out of here." Amy winced as she felt another contraction. Ricky ran to her side, holding her hand in his. "It'll be ok." he said, trying to comfort her somehow.

"No it won't." Amy said. "God this hurts so bad…"  
"I'm sorry Amy." Ricky said, kissing her cheek.

"No. Leave me alone. _You _did this to me. Just…leave. Ok?"

"Fine. I'll be in the hallway." Ricky said. Yet he remained sitting beside her. Ben ran into the room and rushed to her side. He leaned down and kissed her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."

"I didn't expect you to be here yet." Amy smiled.

"Yeah…well my dad was literally driving at 70 miles per hour."  
"Did he get a ticket? I would hate if he did because of me."  
Ben smiled. "It's ok. Anything for you." Ben looked at Ricky cautiously.

"What are _you _doing here?"  
"I thought I should be here for Amy."

Ben laughed. "Be here for Amy? Where were you when she told her parents? Where were you when she almost had an abortion? Where were you when she had horrible morning sickness…or when she woke up at two o'clock in the morning and called me, asking if I could bring her pickles and icecream? Where were you Ricky?"

"Look…I'm sorry that I wasn't there! But you didn't have to be!" Ricky yelled at Ben.

"I love Amy and the baby more than anything. Of course I had to be there."

"Well maybe I love the baby too!" Ricky yelled.

"Maybe you do, Ricky." Amy cut in. "But it's too late. I love Ben…and as far as I'm concerned…he's the father of my baby."

Ricky glared at Ben, then without a word, got up and left.

"I'm sorry about that." Ben apologized to Amy.

"It's ok. I'm sorry I broke up with you. It was stupid."

"Honey…it's ok. I love you. It'll all be ok. You, me, and the baby. We'll all be fine."

Amy grabbed Ben's hand and cried as she felt another contraction.

"Oh my God…." Amy groaned.

"Look at me, Amy." Ben said, and she looked at him, tears streaming down her face.

"You can do this. Ok? I promise. You're going to be ok. I'll be here. The whole time…I'm not leaving. Not now. Not ever. You HAVE to do this. I want to meet our daughter." Amy smiled through her pain.

"Breathe, Amy. Just focus on me and breathe. You'll be fine. I know it hurts but you can do it."

The contraction ended and Amy sighed in exhaustion. "How do you know?"

"Because you're Amy Juergens. The woman I love."

Amy smiled. "I love you too Ben."

"I promise. You'll get through this."

He paused for a moment.

"When's the last time the doctor was in?"  
She thought for a second. "Right before Ricky showed up."

"And?"

"She said I'm dilated about 7 centimeters."  
"Which means?"  
"Well…I have to get to 10 before I can have the baby."

"Oh duh. I knew that." Ben smiled sheepishly.

"How long will that take?"

"No way to know…they said it could be hours…could be until tomorrow."

Ben looked at the clock. It was 3:00pm. He couldn't imagine Amy going through this for 24 more hours. He smiled at her, and kissed her forehead.

"Anything I can do?"  
"Just be here for me…you're the only one I want here when our daughter is born."

"You mean that?"  
"Of _course_ I do, Ben."

He smiled at her again.

"So what do you want to name her?"

Amy sighed. "I don't really know…I guess I've spent so much time about thinking how I'm going to deal with this that a name hasn't even crossed my mind."

Ben thought for a minute. "Can I ask you something?"  
"Sure. Anything."

"Why did you break up with me?" He asked.

"So many reasons…I don't know where to start…"

"Well that makes me feel better." He said sarcastically.

"Seriously though. I wanted to see if Ricky wanted to be a part of her life, and he completely dropped the ball. I thought he deserved the opportunity to step up and be a father, but obviously he chose not to. I don't trust him, Ben."

"So you broke up with me because you don't trust Ben? That makes absolutely no sense."

"No, Ben…I broke up with you because…I didn't want you to be tied down at 15 with a wife and baby. I didn't think it was fair to you to ask you to give up your life for me and my daughter."

"Amy…I don't even know what to say to that. I love you. And you never asked me. I offered. It's you, me, and _our _daughter now. My parents fell in love at 14…why is it impossible for it to happen to me?"

Amy smiled. "I love you so much Ben."

"I love you too."

Amy winced as she felt another contraction.  
"Amy…focus on me. Please. Do this for us. For our daughter. You can do it."

Amy breathed as Ben held her hand. "You're so strong Amy…I'm so proud of you."

Amy sighed and leaned back. "Wow. That was short but horrible."

"I hate seeing you in pain, Amy. Isn't there something they can give you?"  
"They already gave me the epidural. Aside from that…not really."

"I'm sorry you're going through this."

She smiled. "In a way, I'm kinda not."

Ben looked at Amy, obviously confused. "Explain…"

"I mean…as much as it stinks to be having a baby at 15 with some guy I don't even like…let alone LOVE…at the same time…it brought us together. Thanks for sticking by me through all this…even when I was a complete jerk."  
"You are so welcome, Amy. I'm here. I always will be. You know that."  
"Of course I do…I can't wait to marry you, Ben."

"How about tomorrow?" He asked. Amy laughed.

"Ben…I could still be in labor tomorrow."  
"So?" He asked jokingly.

Amy rolled her eyes. "Ben…"  
"Ok. Fine. Not tomorrow."

Amy smiled, as he leaned over and kissed her.  
"I'm going to go tell everyone how you're doing."

"Who all is out there?"  
"Let's see…your mom, Ashley, my dad, Ricky….I think mom said your dad is coming."

"Mom?" She asked.

"You know…I figured I might as well get used to it." He winked at Amy.  
"I'll be back. I love you."

"I love you too. Please…hurry. I don't know if I can make it through another contraction without you."

Ben smiled. "I'll be back, my love." He kissed Amy again, then kissed her stomach and walked out the door.

Amy smiled, leaning back on the bed.

Meanwhile, Ben had just arrived in the waiting room, and was being bombarded with questions.

"How is she?" Anne asked, walking up to Ben.  
"She's ok. She's scared…but she's ok."

"I should be in there." Anne said, trying to get past Ben.

"I should warn you…I don't want to hurt your feelings, but she already said she doesn't want anyone else in there when she has the baby."  
"Meaning anyone else besides you?"  
Ben nodded. "I'm sorry." Anne forced a smile on her face, walking into the room to check on Amy.

"So you're playing daddy now?" Ricky asked, smirking at Ben.

Ashley stood up, walking over and standing in front of Ricky. "He's more of a father than you'll ever be. He loves my sister and her daughter…he's man enough to take responsibility for a baby that's not even his. You don't care…so what are you doing here? Go home! Amy doesn't want you here!" Ricky looked at Ashley, absolutely infuriated and walked out the door.

Ben looked surprised. "Thank you, Ashley."

She nodded. "He's such a jerk anyway. I always hated him. And there's NO way I want him involved in Amy or the baby's life."

Ben's dad got up, walked over to him, and gave him a hug. "I'm so proud of you for being there for Amy."  
Ben smiled. "Anything for the girl I love."

Anne came out of the room. "Ben…Amy's asking for you."

"Contraction?" He asked, knowing the answer.

Anne nodded. "Just had a horrible one. The doctor was in to see her."

"What'd she say?"  
"She's dilated to about 8 centimeters."  
"That went fast. Only 2 to go."

"Yeah…but it'll seem like an eternity to her. Get in there. She needs you."

Ben started to walk into the room, until Anne stopped him. "Oh Ben…" He turned his head toward her. "By the way…thank you for being there for Amy…and thanks for loving her through all this."

"I love her, Mrs. Juergens. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. It's a pleasure."

Ben walked into the room and rushed to Amy's side, holding her hand in his.

"Are you ok baby?" He asked, obvious concern in his eyes and in his voice.

She nodded. "Yeah…I just need you."

He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I need you too, Amy."

"I'm scared, Ben."

"Why?"  
"It hurts…and it's only getting worse."  
"I know. I'll be here through it all. Ok? It's going to be ok."

"Ben…what if we aren't ready to be parents?"  
Ben laughed. "Amy…we're not. We're 15. It's not what either one of us would've wanted for ourselves…but things happen."

"Yeah…I was stupid and had sex with Ricky." She said, looking down.

"Hey…it's ok. I'm not angry with you."

"I wish I would've waited for you." Amy said, looking up at Ben.

Ben smiled. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish you waited for me…but Amy…we're having a baby! True, it's bad timing…but we love each other."

"But what if we don't make it? What if love isn't enough?"  
"Amy…love is everything."

She winced, feeling another contraction. She grabbed Ben's hand. He stood up, wrapping his arm around her, rubbing her back as she cried into his shoulder.

"Why can't it just be over?" She asked, crying.

"I know…I know it's hard. But you can do this. You're the strongest woman I know."

Amy sighed, releasing Ben's hand from her tight grip.

"It's over?"  
Amy nodded.

"I love you, Amy. I'm here. I'll always be here."

_Tomorrow morning if you wake up  
And the sun does not appear  
I will be here.  
If in the dark we lose sight of love  
Hold my hand and have no fear  
'Cause I will be here_

_I will be here when you feel like being quiet  
When you need to speak your mind, I will listen  
And I will be here when the laughter turns to crying  
Through the winning, losing, and trying, we'll be together  
'Cause I will be here_

_Tomorrow morning if you wake up  
And the future is unclear  
I will be here_

_As sure as seasons are made for change  
Our lifetimes are made for years  
So I will be here_

_I will be here, so you can cry on my shoulder  
When the mirror tells us we're older, I will hold you  
And I will be here to watch you grow in beauty  
And tell you all the things you are to me  
I will be here_

_I will be true to the promise I have made  
To you and to the One who gave you to me_

_As sure as seasons are made for change  
Our lifetimes are made for years  
So I will be here  
We'll be together and I will be here_

**PLEASE review and let me know what you think! I can't decide if I'm going to continue it or not... Also- I really need suggestions for a title...PLEASE! That's one thing I'm horrible at when writing fanfictions- coming up with titles.**

**So please- leave me some reviews. and not just "Oh this sucks and I hate it." If you're gonna bash it, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM please! Or if you wanna something nice that's ok too! ;) If I get enough response, I'll probably continue (I LOVE this show!!)  
**


	2. Chapter 2

"I'll leave you guys alone…" The nurse said, handing Amy her new baby girl. "Let me know if you need anything." Amy nodded, looking down lovingly at her daughter.

"You did it." Ben said, kissing Amy's forehead and she looked at Ben, as she gently kissed him back.

"I can't believe it…I'm a mommy."

Ben smiled. "Yeah. You are, Amy. You did so good. I'm so proud of you."

"You wanna hold her Daddy?" Amy looked up from her daughter and up at Ben.

He nodded, as Amy placed the baby in Ben's arms. He smiled down at her, kissing her forehead.

"I love you so much." He whispered to her. Amy just watched him interact with the baby for the first time, and a huge grin spread across her face.

"You tired honey?" he asked, looking up at Amy.

"No…I thought I would be…but seeing her…it's made everything worth it."

She paused for a moment and thoughtfully looked at Ben.

"What do you wanna name her?"  
He looked up at her skeptically. "Amy…I think that's your decision."

"Ben…it's _your _daughter too."

He sighed. "What names do you like?"  
Amy thought for a minute. "Haley, Mackenzie, Emily, Sarah, Katelyn, Marissa, Ava…"

"I like Ava. A lot."

Amy looked at Ben. "Mackenzie Boykewich...what do you think?"  
Ben shrugged. "I didn't know we were going for something that went with Boykewich.."

"Someday, Ben. Not now. But someday…if and when we get married, she will be a Boykewich."

"Mackenzie Boykewich…I kinda like it."

"Me too." Amy smiled. "Middle name?"

"I don't know…I was thinking…"

"What, Ben?"  
"If it was ok with you, I sort of wanted her to be named after my mom."

"What was her name, Ben? After all this time and the times we've talked about her, you never told me."

"Elizabeth." He said, and smiled.

"Mackenzie Elizabeth Boykewich…I really like it."

"Don't you think it's kind of long?" He asked Amy.

Amy thought for a second. "I don't know…maybe it is a little long."

"I really like Ava too." Ben said.

Amy grinned. "Ava Elizabeth…perfect."

Ben kissed Amy.

"I love you."  
"I love you too, Ben. And I love her…she's beautiful, isn't she?"  
Ben looked down at Ava and smiled. "Yeah, Amy. She's beautiful."

"Do you think I should go get everyone?" Ben asked, rolling his eyes. Amy laughed.  
"I guess you should…I bet we have some people out there wanting to meet her."

Ben handed Amy the baby, and walked into the waiting room, announcing to everyone that Amy was ready for visitors. So Amy's parents, Ashley, and Ben's dad all started to walk towards Amy's room when Ben saw Ricky sitting in the waiting room.

"How is she?" He asked Ben.

"She's good. She did so good, Ricky…I'm so proud of her."

Ricky smiled weakly. "What's her name?"  
"Ava Elizabeth." Ben smiled proudly.

Ricky stood in silence.

"You want to come meet her?" Ben asked.

"But Amy said…" Ricky started.

"I know what Amy said…we talked about it. She wants you to meet Ava. Come on in."

Ricky smiled, following Ben down the hallway, meeting up with everyone else before they entered Amy's room.

Ben opened the door first, walking in and sitting on the edge of the bed beside Amy.

"Everyone…this is Ava Elizabeth…" Amy paused for a second. "…Boykewich." She looked at Ben, who smiled proudly. Ricky emerged from the back of the room and walked up to Amy, and knelt down beside her to get a closer look at the baby.

"She's beautiful, Amy. She looks just like you."

Amy smiled. "She has your eyes."

Ricky leaned over and kissed Ava's cheek.

"Look…we need to talk." Ricky told Amy.

"I know we do. But Ricky…I love Ben. I'm not interested in you."  
"I know that. I just think we owe it to Ava to at least be friends."

Amy nodded. "I'd like that, Ricky."

He smiled, leaning in, giving Amy a hug.

"I'm proud of you." He whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"Thanks, Ricky."

Ben stood and shook Ricky's hand.

"Congratulations, Dad." Ricky told Ben.

"Thanks. That means a lot." Ben said, smiling and looking over at Amy's parents, who were just staring at the baby.

"Um…The nurse came in right before you guys all got in here…" Amy began. "She's taking Ava to the nursery so I can get some sleep. She said you guys are all more than welcome to go see her there."

Anne smiled. "Ok. Get some rest, sweetheart." She went over and kissed her daughter, followed by George and Ashley. Mr. Boykewich gave Amy a hug. "Congratulations, Amy." He said, as he pulled away from her, hugging his son.

"Thank you. For everything." Amy said, smiling.

"Just keep my son in line." He said, winking and following Ricky, Ashley, George and Anne out of the room. Then the nurse came in and took Ava from Amy's arms, leaving her alone with Ben.

They sat in silence for a minute until Ben broke it.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah…"

"Amy…" he started, sitting on the bedside, taking her hand in his. "I love you. I want to be here for you and Ava…always."

"I know you do, Ben."

"Will you do something for me?"  
"If I can, absolutely."  
He pulled that same black box out of his pocket. "Amy…I don't expect you to marry me right now. I want to give you this a promise to you…that the day we turn 18, I will marry you. Please, Amy. Let me be your husband. Let me be here for you."

Amy smiled. "I've thought about this a lot. And…I would love to marry you, Ben."

He grinned, putting the ring on her finger, and kissed her.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Ben."

He laid down on the bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her, holding her tight.

"After graduation, Ben?"  
"Yeah." He said, sounding pretty sure of what he wanted.

She nodded, leaning her head on his chest. "Aren't we a little young to be engaged?" she asked. Ben laughed. "Of course we are. I realize that. But in my defense, these are special circumstances."

"That's true. I just don't want to hold you back from doing what you want to do. I mean…college is already out the window for me…"

Ben shook his head. "No. It's not. Amy…we can both work it out that one of us can be home with Ava. Or we could try and schedule our classes on the same day and get my dad, your mom or your sister to babysit."

"Just promise me one thing?" Amy asked.

Ben nodded. "Name it."

"We will not have ANY more kids until we're BOTH done with college and have steady jobs. I don't any more surprises like this."

Ben smiled. "I agree." He kissed her forehead and held her even tighter.

"Get some sleep, honey. I'll be right here when you wake up. Actually I might take a nap too."

"I would think you're tired too."

He nodded. "I didn't want to say it, but I am."

"Mmhmm…goodnight Ben."  
"Goodnight Amy. I love you."

"I love you too." She said, cuddling up next to him, and with thoughts of her fiancé and their daughter running through her mind, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

**Oh my goodness…name was SO difficult. I seriously spent an hour trying to come up with it…cause you see…my favorite names are Madison, Lauren, and Mackenzie. But Madison and Lauren are already in the show (even though they probably won't be in the story very much) and Mackenzie is just WAY too long for Boykewich. Haha.**

**Anyways, I hope you liked it. Please review, and I MIGHT update tomorrow after the show. EEK! I'm so excited!**


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys

**Hey guys!**

**Ok. So I totally intended to update after the show on Tuesday, but ended up watching the episode again. And yesterday I was out of town…and today I re-watched every episode…was looking for some inspiration…and then I was just amazed by the sweetness of Ben Boykewich that I couldn't concentrate long enough to write anything. Haha.**

**But anyways- here's the next chapter. I hope you like it. PLEASE review! And if you have suggestions, let me know.**

**Oh. By the way- let me explain the living situation in my story. I thought long and hard about this…if you don't like it…well…that's why I'm the author and you're not. ******** Amy moves in with Ben and his dad. They all decided it would be best for Amy and Ava to live there, at least while Ava is still a newborn and awake pretty much ALL night…(I've babysat newborns, and if you've never been around a newborn, they really are not sound sleepers. At all. And when they're awake, they're usually crying)**

**Anne is homeschooling Amy and Ben at his house until Ava is a little older so that on top of a newborn waking up all the time, they wouldn't have to get up super early for school.**

**So that's a little background.**

**I'm gonna try writing from Amy and Ben's perspective…I know that's not normal for a story to go back and forth from 3****rd**** person to 1****st**** person, but I'm going to try it. let me know if you think it works, and if it does, I'll continue.**

**Ok. Sorry guys. On with the chapter…**

My eyes shot open at the sound of my daughter's cry. I looked over at the clock. _2:00 am._ I groaned, getting out of bed and walking into Amy's room, where Ava's crib was set up. I walked over to the crib, peeking over the edge.

"What's wrong sweetie?" I whispered, picking Ava up and holding her tightly in my arms. Amy and Ava were released from the hospital about a week ago and moved in the day after. And as much as my dad warned me, I didn't really realize how little babies slept until they moved in. I smiled at Amy, who was sound asleep. I quietly walked out of the room so I wouldn't wake her. It seemed like she was up feeding her all night. And as much as I wanted to help, it was literally impossible. I sat in the rocking chair that my dad and I moved in my bedroom, and rocked Ava until she stopped crying. I smiled down at my daughter.

Never in a million years did I think that I would be a father at 15…to some other guy's baby at that. But I loved Amy. And after losing my mom, the relationships in my life became more and more important to me. I guess that's why I proposed so early in our relationship…because after I found out that she was pregnant, I thought she would completely shut me out, and I guess she did for a while.

But all of that didn't matter now. Amy was here. We were getting married in just over 2 years, and we had a beautiful daughter. And honestly, it didn't matter that she wasn't mine. I looked down at her, feeling the same love and adoration for her that I would feel for my own child. Ava was still crying softly, and I leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"I know honey…go to sleep. Daddy loves you." I whispered.

"Mommy loves you too." I heard Amy and looked up, seeing her standing in the doorway, arms crossed. I smiled at her, and she walked over toward me, sitting on the arm of the chair, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. She leaned down and kissed me softly.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" I asked, looking at her.

She laughed. "Yeah. My hair's a mess. I have huge bags under my eyes. I'm fat…"

I looked at her closely. True, she looked absolutely exhausted. But to me, she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Amy…you should know by now that doesn't matter to me."

"But why?"  
I smiled. "Because I love you."  
"Why hasn't it ever mattered?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Ben…do you remember that the time you came over to my house the day before I was supposed to leave for my grandma's?"  
I nodded.

"When we stood in the doorway and you held me for the longest time and I tried to pull away?"  
I nodded again.

"I pulled away because I knew that it was getting to the point that you could tell I was pregnant. Maybe not see it as much as feel it. And it freaked me out that we were that close….and I didn't want it to freak you out that there was a baby between us. But I knew the second that you asked me not to shut you out that I couldn't walk away. Not then. Not like that. If you wouldn't have come over…who knows where we'd be right now."

I smiled at her, kissing her softly.  
"You know Ben…I never thought that those little things would mean everything to me. And I thought about that moment right after I broke up with you." she looked down, tearing up and looking back at me. "I realized how much I missed you. I felt so far away from you and I wanted you back so bad….but I didn't want you throwing everything away for Ava and me."

I looked at her, tears welling up in my eyes as well. "Why didn't you tell me this?"  
She shrugged. "I guess you think of more things to talk about when you're trying to entertain your fiancé while he's sitting up in the middle of the night with a crying a baby."

I smiled. "I love you Amy Juergens."

She smiled. "Me too."

I looked down. "She fell asleep." I smiled, laughing a little bit. "She actually went to sleep for me."

"She knows your voice, Ben. And she loves her daddy."

"Thank you for choosing me." I whispered.

"Well thank you for loving me." She whispered back. "Can we stay up and talk for a while? I'm not even tired now. And she'll be up in another hour or so wanting me to feed her…"

I nodded. "Absolutely. Let's put her down first." She nodded, as we both got up from the chair and walked into Amy and Ava's room. I gently laid Ava down in her crib, kissing her cheek and covering her up with the blanket that Amy's grandmother made her. Amy kissed Ava's cheek, and I grabbed her hand, and we both laid down on Amy's bed. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close to me. She laid her head on my chest and I smiled, holding her tighter.

"Thank you for being a great father, Ben."  
"I still can't believe we're parents, Amy…well…that you're a mom…"

She sat up, looking at me. "Ben…how many times do I have to go through this with you? I love _you_. Not Ricky. _You_. How many times do I have to say it before you believe it?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'm just scared." I said, looking down.

"Of what?" She asked. "Ben. Look at me. What are you afraid of?"  
"I'm scared that everyone I grow close to is going to leave."

Amy shook her head. "Ben…not everyone you love is going to leave."  
"My mom did."

"Ben…she had no choice."

"You almost did."

She sighed. "Yes. I almost did. But I didn't. I almost left, but I didn't. I just didn't want you to see me…pregnant."

"Like that mattered to me, Amy.."

She smiled. "I know. I realized that when you came over that night…that the fact that I was pregnant and was going to be absolutely huge didn't matter to you. And I realized that again, after we were both heartbroken when I broke up with you. I can't get through this without you, Ben."

I smiled. "I'm sorry…it's just…just hard."

"I know…I wish I would've met your mom."

"Me too, Ames. She was great…you would've loved her…"

"Tell me about her." She said, laying her head back on my chest and I wrapped my arms around her once again.

And that's how we remained. We talked about my mom until we both fell asleep. My life was perfect, and I couldn't ask for anything more.


	4. Chapter 4

"BEN BOYKEWICH!" Mr. Boykewich yelled walking into my room. I groaned, opening my eyes. I looked to my left, and Ben was laying there, holding me tightly. I nudged him with my elbow and he opened his eyes, looking at his dad standing in the doorway.

"Mr. Boykewich…nothing happened. Honest."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Why are you two sleeping in the same bed, Ben?" He asked, looking at Ben. I smiled innocently at him.

"Dad. Honest. We just fell asleep. Ava was up all night and we stayed up talking cause we couldn't fall back asleep."

Mr. Boykewich looked from Ben to me and then back to Ben. "I believe you. Just don't let Amy's parents catch you here." He smiled at me. "How are you doing, Ames?"  
I sighed. "I'm tired. Very tired. Ava's been up a lot. Ben and I have tried to take turns for the most part…but it doesn't work. We both end up waking up."

Leo smiled. "Yeah…I remember when Ben used to do that with my wife and I."

I smiled sympathetically. "Well if our daughter turns out as well as Ben did, I'll be happy." I said, smiling at my fiancé.

"Just don't try and pull anything Benjamin." His dad told him.

"Not sure I follow you, Sausage King." Ben said, and Leo rolled his eyes.  
"I think you know what I mean Ben."

Ben nodded.

"Anyways…Ames…your mom called me this morning. She didn't want to wake you up if you guys were asleep…she's coming over about 9 for school. It's about 7:30 now.

I nodded. "Thanks Mr. Boykewich."

"Amy…you've lived here for a week. You can call me Leo. Dad even."  
I smiled a little uncomfortably. It just didn't seem right yet. "Ok."

He left the room, and I turned to Ben.

"That was close." He said.

"I know. Ben…we can't do anything."  
"I know Amy…"

"We're already 15 and have a baby. After I found out I was pregnant with Ava, I decided that I wouldn't have sex again until I get married."

"You suddenly going religious on me?"  
I laughed a little. "No. it's just…I don't want another surprise like this one…and the only way to completely prevent it is…well…not to do anything that would cause it. Plus…it'll make it even more special in 3 years when we _do _get married."

He smiled. "I agree. I love you."

I kissed him gently. "Me too, Ben."

"Do you want to get a shower?"  
I frowned. "Is that a hint that I stink?"

"Sorry honey. You do."

"Fine. I'll shower."

"And I'll take care of Ava. And we'll switch."

I nodded. "Ok Ben." I rolled out of bed, and went into the bathroom that was attached to my bedroom. I have to admit, Ben and his dad took really good care of me. They gave me a huge bedroom with a huge attached bathroom. It was great. And I really loved being with Ben…he might not believe it sometimes, but I really did love him. I shut the door, smiling at Ben, who already had Ava in his arms. I grinned. There was no way I could've chosen a better guy to be her father…

I got out of the shower ten minutes later, and walked into my room. Ben looked at me and grinned. "You look beautiful, baby." He said. I smiled. He always sounded so genuine every time he complimented me. Yet, he knew how to be honest when I needed him to be, which was one of the many things I loved about him. I looked down at my outfit. I was wearing a pair of khaki capris and a grey t-shirt with a yellow tanktop over it. I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. I look gorgeous…" I said sarcastically.

"No. Don't do that." he said, putting Ava in her crib and walking over to me. "You are the most beautiful woman in the world to me…whether you're in a prom dress or sweatpants, I'll always see you as beautiful."

I smiled. "You're gonna make me cry. Cut it out." I said. Ben could be so cheesy sometimes, but I knew he meant every word of what he said, and I loved that.

He kissed me and I hugged him close.

"I love you. Thank you for not being Ricky."  
Ben shuddered. "Way to ruin an amazing moment, Amy."

Ava cried in her crib. "Oh no, Ava had that taken care of." I said, walking over and picking up my daughter, holding her on my shoulder, bouncing up and down in an attempt to make her stop crying.

"Go get a shower, Ben." I said. "I have it handled."

He looked warily at me. "I know…she likes you better."

He smiles. "I think she loves us both the same."  
I rolled my eyes. "You're probably right. Go get a shower. You stink!" I teased, and he smiled at me.  
"But I'll miss you." he joked.

"Ben. It's a ten minute shower. We'll both be fine. I'll just…feed Ava and get her dressed."  
He smiled. "I'll be out in a few, my love."

I nodded, laughing as Ben walked out of the door to go to his room.

Yes, he was corny and stupid sometimes, but I loved him with my entire heart and soul. And every time I looked at him…I fell in love with him even more. And today was one of those times.

**Awww! Yay for cheesy Ben-ness! I don't know…maybe not my best…it's considerably shorter than my other chapters...but at least its an update!!  
**

**Just review it please!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**So a couple quick author's notes... Ava is approximately 2 weeks old at this point. Also, a reader brought it to my attention that in one chapter, I said they'd get married in 2 years and in another I said 3. Just wanted to clarify...I'm assuming Amy and Ben would be 16 by the time the baby was born (or almost 16)...and I said they were getting married right after graduation, which is when they're 18...so it's a little over 2 years. Sorry for the confusing..**

**And now...on with Chapter 5! Enjoy!**

I woke up, yawning as I rolled over in bed. I looked at the time, and was shocked to see I had slept in until 8:00 am. True, it was a Saturday morning, But usually, Amy would have woken me up by now or I would've woken up to Ava crying. Then again, I was up with her a lot the night before and was pretty exhausted, and was thankful that Amy let me sleep.

I looked in the mirror, laughing at how messy my hair was. I walked into my bathroom, took a quick shower and brushed my teeth. I threw on a pair of khaki shorts and a blue polo, then walked into Amy and Ava's room. I grinned when I saw Amy. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a pink t-shirt with a green jacket. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, but she still looked absolutely beautiful to me. She was leaning over the changing table, getting Ava changed and dressed. I walked up to Amy, wrapping my arms around her waist and kissing her neck lightly.

"Morning." I whispered, kissing her cheek.

She smiled. "Hey Ben."

"How are my girls this morning?"  
"Pretty good. Pretty tired…" She said, smiling weakly.

"How much was she up with you?"

Amy thought for a second. "About 3 times. You?"  
"Probably 4 times."

Amy frowned. "I'm sorry."

I just shrugged. "It's ok. I love her. It's alright."

"I have something I want to show you…can you hold her for a minute?" she asked, buttoning the last button on Ava's outfit and picking her up. I nodded eagerly, holding my arms out and taking our daughter from Amy. She smiled, kissing Ava's cheek then kissing me gently on the lips. "I love you. In case I haven't said that enough."

"I love you too, Ames." I replied. "What is it that you wanted to show me?"

"Oh. Hold on." Amy walked over to her bed and opened the drawer of her nightstand, pulling out her digital camera. She scrolled through the pictures, then stopped at one, smiled, and walked over to me. She showed me the picture and a grin spread across my face. It was a picture of me and Ava, obviously taken last night at one of the many times I was up with her. I was sitting on the rocking chair in my room, holding her in my arms. We were both asleep. I chuckled as I studied the picture.

"I couldn't resist." Amy began. "You just looked so…natural with her, I guess. It was amazing. I had to take a picture. I want to print a copy and have it framed."

I nodded. "It is a great picture."

Ava started crying, and I walked around the room, bouncing her to try and settle her down.

"You two look so good together."

"Thanks baby." I said, smiling at Amy, and then looking down again at Ava.

"Is she hungry?"  
Amy shook her head. "Just fed her."

"Tired?"  
Amy shrugged. "Probably. I don't know. I'm new to this too."

"She looks tired, Amy." I said, studying Ava's face as she slowly shut her eyes. I laid her in her crib, covering her up with a blanket. Sure enough, she fell asleep almost instantly.

"So what do you want to do today?" I asked, turning to look at Amy.

She sighed, sitting on the bed and motioning for me to join her. I said down, holding her hand in mine. We both laid down, and she laid her head on my shoulder. I held her close to me.  
"This. _This _is what I want to do today."

"That's all?"  
"Well…I was thinking…" She started, looking up at me.

I looked at her curiously and she continued. "We haven't been on a date in ages."

I nodded. "You want to go out tonight?"

She nodded eagerly. "I already called my mom. She and Ashley are gonna watch Ava. Dad might even be going over."  
"I thought your parents were split up."  
"Yeah…I thought so too, but I think my mom's letting him come home."

"That's good." I smiled. "So you totally arranged this, didn't you?"  
She nodded. "I just wanted to spend some time alone with you."

I pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. "And what made you think I would say yes?"  
"I don't know. Cause I said yes when you proposed. So you owe me."

I looked at her, slightly confused. "Wait…I owe you cause I proposed? That makes no sense."

Amy laughed. "I was kidding, Ben. Of course you don't owe me. You wanting to marry me was enough. I just want to spend some time alone with my amazing fiancé."  
I smiled. "It's a date, Amy. Where do you want to go?"  
"Anywhere…as long as I'm with you and we can just talk…"

"Maybe go see a movie, go to dinner, walk around the mall and shop for a while…then go get Ava? Nothing too romantic…just fun."

She grinned. "I don't need something insanely romantic, Ben. Being with you is enough."

"You say that, but I can't help but wonder if that's your way of saying 'Hey, Ben. I love you and all, but you really need to be more romantic and spontaneous.'"

Amy laughed even harder. "Ben. Stop."

"At least let me take you somewhere nice for dinner."

She shrugged.  
"Please, Amy? It'll be fun, I promise."

She nodded. "Ok. Sounds good."

"Alright. Well…I'll call and make a reservation for about 5:00…then go see a movie at about 7:30? Then hit the mall and come home?"

She nodded. "I can't wait, Ben."

I kissed her, and a grin spread across my face. "I love you Amy Juergens."

She smiled, leaning her head back on my shoulder and I held her close, never wanting to let go.

**So...what do you think? Let me know..I literally wrote this in...um...let's see...30 minutes. so I hope it doesn't suck too bad! Next chapter should be up by the end of the day Tuesday...I haven't started writing, but I have a pretty good idea where it's gonna go...  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**I know I usually alternate POV, but this chapter is Ben again, just because of what the next chapter is about…let's just say I have to write it from Amy's perspective.**

"Are you almost ready?" I yelled from my room.

"Almost!" Amy yelled back. I looked in my mirror, satisfied with my appearance. I was wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt with a white button-up shirt over it. Amy once told me that the outfit looked good on me, and I wanted to make her happy.

I walked into Amy's room and sat on the bed. "Honey, we have to go take Ava to your parents' house! Cause my dad isn't gonna be home till later tonight."  
"I already called my mom! She and Ashley are coming over here!" She yelled back.  
"Well thanks for telling me…" I said quietly and then shook my head. 'Well that was stupid.'

"Sorry! I love you!" I yelled quickly. I heard Amy laugh as she opened the bathroom door, walking into the room. I smiled, looking at her. "You look gorgeous." I said sincerely, studying her outfit. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a pink shirt and a white tank top, the same outfit she wore on our first date over nine months ago, and as I looked up into her eyes, I felt like the luckiest guy in the world. She grinned at me, walking over and kissing me.

"Thank you, Ben. I'm so excited!"  
"Me too! So I made reservations for dinner…"

"Oh?" She asked, looking at me out of the corner of her eye.

"Nothing too fancy…but I know how much you like pasta, so I thought maybe Olive Garden sounded good? If it doesn't just tell me…I'll cancel the reservation. I'll call another place if you want…

"Ben." She stopped me from rattling on, and I was glad she did, cause I probably would've gone on and on about switching dinner plans for 3 hours, then our date would be over.

"That sounds really nice." She said, looking over at the crib when she heard a little noise from Ava.

"I got it." I said, walking over to her, picking her up and kissing her forehead, as I held her up to my shoulder, holding her back with my hand.

We heard a knock at the door. "That's mom." Amy said, smiling at me, then walking out of the room, going to the front door.

"Hi Amy." Mrs. Juergens smiled as Amy opened the door, then hugged her. I watched, smiling as Amy then moved to Ashley, hugging her.

"Thank you guys for doing this on such short notice…we just haven't been out of the house for two weeks, and taking a baby that young out…especially on a date isn't exactly the ideal situation. Then again…none of this really is..  
I looked at Amy, putting my hand on her shoulder. "Stop, Amy. It's fine."  
"He's right, Amy…" Mrs. Juergens added. "Ashley and I will take care of the baby, and you two go out and have fun."  
"Be home around 11?" Amy asked her mom, and she nodded.

"Sure. Have fun." Anne said, motioning towards the door, as she took Ava from my arms.

"I just have to grab my jacket and my purse. You want your jacket, Ben?"

I nodded. "Thanks, baby."

She smiled, then walked into the other room to grab our things.

"Ok…I think we have everything." She said, walking back into the room, handing me my coat.

"Go ahead and go! We'll be fine…not like I haven't done this before…" Anne said, now bouncing around the room to settle down a fussing Ava.  
Amy smiled at her mom. "Ok…Bye baby…" she said, kissing Ava's forehead. I walked over and kissed her as well. "Mommy and Daddy love you." I said, as Anne smiled at me, then Amy and I walked hand in hand out to my car and drove off.

"What time is our reservation?" Amy asked, buckling her seatbelt as I turned the car on.

"5:00. It's 4:40 now. We have plenty of time. Just relax and enjoy the evening, ok?"

"I know..it's just…it's weird being away from her."  
I nodded. "I know it is. Amy…she's gonna be fine."  
"I know. It's just…I'm her mother."  
"I know you are. And I'm…"

"Her father…" she added.

"Ok. I love her too, but she's FINE…so relax. Let's just enjoy ourselves, ok?"  
She smiled. "Ok." I leaned over, and kissed her gently on the lips, then drove off.

We had a nice dinner at Olive Garden, absolutely stuffing our faces with salad, breadsticks, and pasta. Then we went to go see the new Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie…Amy's choice, of course. We arrived at the mall, walking in, hand in hand.

"Thank you, Ben. Dinner was amazing and that was a great movie."

I smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"You didn't, did you?"  
"Amy…I enjoy any and all time I spend with you. Even if it is watching a chick flick. Chick flicks just aren't my thing."

"I told you we could go see Indiana Jones or something!"

"I know…but it's what you wanted to see, and it actually wasn't _that_ bad."  
"Oh of course…you're a cheesy romantic…of COURSE you like chick flicks!"

"It wasn't even a romantic movie, Amy!"

She thought for a minute. "Is that where you get all your cute cheesy lines? From chick flicks?" She laughed and I rolled my eyes.

"Ok…number one…I'm quite offended that you would say that I'm cheesy. And two…all of my insanely romantic lines are from the mind of Ben Boykewich." I joked with her and she laughed, then kissed me.

"I love you, Ben."  
"I love you too, Amy."

We continued walking, visiting all of our favorite clothing stores, buying a few items for each of us, then walked by the baby clothing store.

"Do you realize we haven't talked about Ava all night?" I asked.

"It is hard to believe…"

"She needs some more outfits, right?"  
"Eh…a couple more wouldn't hurt." Amy shrugged. I grabbed her hand, pulling her into the store. "How about this?" I asked, holding up a purple dress.

She smiled. "I like that."

I grabbed more outfits, throwing them at her like a little kid in a toy store. She laughed at me, holding all of the outfits as well as the bags of clothes that we bought, then went up to the register.  
"Oh…sorry Amy." I said, grabbing the bags from her so she could lay the outfits on the counter.

We made our purchases, walking out of the store hand in hand, oblivious to the weird looks people were giving us as we exited the store.

"I don't think your mom likes me." I said.  
"Well that was random. Why would you say that?" She asked, sitting on a bench. I sat beside her.

"I don't know…it just seems like she doesn't want us together."

"Ben…she loves you. My whole family loves you. they just don't want me getting married right now."  
"Well we're not married."  
"Might as well be…" Amy said quietly.

"So wait…what does this mean, Amy? You want to take a break?"  
She shook her head. "Not what I'm saying at all. I'm just saying…we already act like we're married…and I love it. Just not so sure she does."  
"I thought she was ok with the idea of you moving in with us."  
"She was. She just didn't want us taking things too fast."  
I thought of a second. "Amy…I love you. And if you want me to slow down, I will. The only reason I do what I do is because I love you and Ava more than life itself, and I want nothing more than to be your husband and her father for the rest of my life."

She smiled, kissing me. "Exactly what I wanted to hear."

"You ready to go home?" I asked, looking at my watch.  
"But I was having such a good time!" she protested.  
"I know…but it's 10:00 and I miss Ava…"

Amy smiled. "Aww…Daddy misses his little girl!"

"So what if I do?" I asked, winking at her.

She held me hand, laying her head on my shoulder as we walked to the car.

"Thank you for everything, Ben…"

I opened the door for her, taking all the bags she was carrying and placing them in the back seat. I smiled as we drove home, not being able to imagine how my life could get any better than it was at that moment.

**Reviews are appreciated, as always. If I get..let's see...over 5 reviews, I'll update again tonight, cause I'm ALMOST done with chapter 7.**** Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

"Hello?" I answered, whispering.

"Why are you whispering?" The voice on the other end asked.

"My daughter is sleeping." I whispered back. "Who is this?"  
"It's me, Ricky. Can I come over?"  
I rolled my eyes. "Why?"  
"Amy…we agreed to at least be friends so I can _see _my own daughter."

"She's not _your _daughter…and besides, Ben and his dad aren't home so I don't think that's a good idea."

"Come on, Amy. Just for a few minutes. I want to see her."

"It just sounds like a bad idea, Ricky."  
"Please? We are friends, right?"  
"Right." I agreed.

"So why can't I?"  
I sighed. "Because, Ricky! Things are a little more complicated than that, don't you think? I mean, look what happened the last time we got together."  
"I know, I know…" Ricky said quietly. "Just please…I promise I won't do anything."  
I sighed. It still sounded like a bad idea. "Ok. You can come over and see her." I said reluctantly.

"Thanks Amy. I'll be over in a few minutes." He said quickly and hung up.

"Your father is coming." I told Ava, quietly. "Daddy will get a kick out of this." I laughed. 'This will be very interesting to explain to her later,' I thought.

Sure enough, about three minutes later, there was a knock on the front door. I set Ava down in her bassinet in the living room and walked to the door, opening it for Ricky.  
"Hey Amy." He said, smiling and leaning in to kiss my cheek.

"Hey." I said quietly, smiling a little.  
We stood in awkward silence for a minute until I broke it. "I should probably call Ben and tell him you're here."  
"So what? You answer to Ben now?"  
"He _is _my fiancé." I said, holding out my left hand, showing him the ring.

He scoffed. "Fiancé, huh?" He smirked. "Aren't you a little young for that?"  
"I don't know, Ricky…aren't I a little young to be a mother?"  
He shrugged. "Happens all the time, Amy…"

I rolled my eyes. "You know, Ricky…if we're gonna be friends, you have to get used to the idea that I want to be with Ben."  
"I know that."  
"Then stop being such a jerk to him. He's Ava's dad. So get used to it. Because I love him and I have no intention of leaving him for you. So if that's what you're thinking, you're nuts."  
"I know that, Amy. I just want to be your friend. I just want to be around Ava. That's all."

I smiled. "Come on in." I said, opening the door further so he could walk in. I shut it behind him. "She's in the living room in the bassinet.  
Ricky looked around the room. "Nice house.."  
I smiled. "Yeah. Ben and Leo take good care of us."

Ricky slowly approached the bassinet, looking over the side. I walked up beside him, putting my hand on the side of it and smiled at Ava.

"You can pick her up, you know." I said and Ricky looked at me nervously.  
"I don't know how." He said, half embarrassed.

"Ricky…it's ok. Ben and I didn't know how…and now look at us." I laughed, leaning over the bassinet and gently picked up my daughter.

"Here…" I said, holding her out to Ricky. "Just make sure you support her head.." I said, handing her to him. He smiled at her, then sat down carefully on the couch.

"She looks so much like you, Amy."

I smiled. "I love her so much…"

He smiled at me then down at her. "I can't believe this…Amy…she's beautiful."

I smiled. "Don't turn into a softie on me, now."

He turned to look at me and smiled, and moved closer to me. I looked down, hoping Ricky would notice how uncomfortable it made me. He must not have, because he moved in closer, still, putting his hand on top of mine.  
"I'm sorry I wasn't here for you, Amy."

I looked up at him slowly. "How can I know that?"  
"Just trust me now."  
"I don't love you Ricky."

"I don't know if I believe that. Maybe you're just trying to convince yourself that you don't so you can be with Ben."

"Ricky…I don't love you." I repeated.

"I think you want to." He said, leaning and kissing me.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" I heard someone yell and turned, seeing Ben standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry, Amy…I don't know what came over me." Ricky said, standing up.

"I think it would be best if you left right now." I said quietly, taking Ava from Ricky's arms.

"Thank you for letting me come visit her. I'll call you."

I nodded.

"I'm sorry Amy…I'm sorry Ben." Ben nodded, still looking very angry. Ricky hugged me and quickly left, not looking back at me or at Ben.

"What happened?" Ben yelled, sounding absolutely furious.

"Ben…it was honestly nothing. I love YOU!"

"Sure wasn't what it looked like! I was SO stupid…I actually believed that you loved me. I'm not so angry as I am…hurt. Amy…I knew you had sex with him. But why did you have to do this to me?!"

"Ben, I didn't do it to you! He just kissed me! It just happened!"

"Yeah, like you JUST had sex too, right? And look what happened!"

"Ben…don't do that."

"Do what? Amy…you kissed another guy! And not just ANY guy! The father of your baby! I'm not so sure you want to be with me anymore!"

I tried to hide the hurt on my face, but it didn't work. "I'm sorry, Ben." My voice broke. "I didn't mean for it to happen."

"You know what, Amy…I'm gonna take a walk so I don't say something I regret. I'll be home in a few hours and we'll talk." He said, coming up to me and quickly pecked me on the cheek and walked out the door.

**Oh…the suspense is building!! Review as always…**

**I'll update soon! Already working on the next chapter…**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for continuing to read!! Song credit in this chapter is "From Where You Are" by Lifehouse. ENJOY! ******

_I feel the beating of your heart  
I see the shadows of your face  
Just know that wherever you are  
__  
Yeah, I miss you  
And I wish you were here  
I miss the years that were erased  
I miss the way the sunshine would light up your face  
I miss all the little things  
I never thought that they'd mean everything to me  
Yeah, I miss you  
And I wish you were here _

_So far away from where you are  
These miles have torn us world's apart  
And I miss you  
Yeah, I miss you  
And I wish you were here_

I walked around the track at the park, listening to my Ipod as I thought about everything that happened.

"How could she kiss Ricky? Why did she even let him come over if I wasn't home? I mean…it's not that I didn't trust her…but RICKY?! I mean…come ON! He's Ricky!" I yelled to no one in particular. I smiled sheepishly when I got some strange looks from people running past me. "Sorry…my girlfriend and I had a fight." They rolled their eyes and continued walking.

My phone rang and I pulled it out of my pocket. _Amy_. I shook my head, putting it back in my pocket. I couldn't talk to her right now. I just couldn't.

My phone rang again, and without thinking, I pulled it out of my pocket and answered, not even checking who it was.

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

"Ben…what are you doing?" It was my dad.

"What do you want?"  
"I'm here with Amy…Ben…you know she didn't mean it."

"Dad, I can't come home right now."  
"Then can I at least come there and talk to you?" he asked.

"I guess so…I'm at the park walking the track." I said reluctantly, and hung up my phone.

I sat on a nearby bench to wait for my dad, and I saw his car pull up a few minutes later. He got out and walked over to me, sitting beside me on the bench. "This isn't like you, Benjamin. You love Amy…remember? What are you doing?!" He asked and I sighed.

"Dad…she kissed Ricky."  
"I know that. and she told you that it meant NOTHING….so why do you doubt her? Why are you torturing yourself like this? It's not like she WANTED him to kiss her."  
"Well maybe she did, dad…" I said quietly.

"How can you even say that?"

"Maybe the fact that I love her isn't enough…I gave up everything for her."  
"Yes, but you didn't _have _to." Dad pointed out. "That was YOUR choice. You decided that you were old enough and responsible enough to support Amy and Ava through this, knowing all along that it was Ricky's baby…not yours. Ricky's. Ben…you had to have known that Ricky would try and pull something."  
"But he said that he wanted nothing to do with Amy or the baby."

"Well there also was a time that Amy said that she wanted nothing to do with the baby, and look what happened." He paused for a minute. "Just think about what I said. I'm gonna stay away from the house so you can talk to Amy alone when you go home. I'll go home and pick up Ava and…I don't know…walk around the mall with her or something." He stood up, walking away. He opened the car door, but before he got in, he turned to face me one more time.

"She loves you, Benjamin." He yelled. "Amy loves you and Ava loves you, biological father or not. Come to your senses. Go home." He said, and with that, got in the car.

I sighed, getting up and walking around the track more, and I thought about what my dad said about Amy not wanting the baby. I remembered the day that she came to her senses so vividly, it seemed like just yesterday…

_It was Amy's 3-month check-up, and she was still pretty set on giving up the baby for adoption once he or she was born. I tried as hard as I could to convince her otherwise, but she wouldn't listen, no matter what I said or did._

_We sat in the waiting room. Amy was due for her check-up, which included her first ultrasound. _

"_Are you ok?" I asked, turning to face her. She smiled weakly, nodding._

"_Yeah. Just nervous."_

_I grabbed her hand, holding it in mine. "It's gonna be ok, Ames. I promise it will."_

"_Amy Juergens?" The nurse called, and Amy and I stood, following her back into the examining room. _

"_Go ahead and have a seat, Amy. How are you feeling?"  
Amy shrugged. "Ok. Nervous."_

_The nurse smiled. "There's nothing to be nervous about, Amy. We're just making sure your baby is ok."_

_Amy nodded._

"_Anything out of the ordinary?"  
Amy shook her head._

_After writing some notes on Amy's chart, she put her pen down and closed her folder._

"_The doctor will be right with you, Amy. Just relax. It's just a check-up."_

"_Thank you." Amy said quietly, and the nurse left._

_I stood by Amy the whole time, holding her hand. I kissed her forehead and rubbed her back.  
"It's ok. I love you."  
"I love you too."_

"_Amy…be excited!"  
"Ben…how can I be excited about a baby that I don't want?" _

_I frowned as the doctor walked in.  
"Hi Amy…is this the father?"_

_She shook her head. "No…just my amazing boyfriend." She said, looking at me, smiling. The doctor nodded. "Well, let's see how your baby's doing, Amy."_

_Amy nodded, laying down on the examining table. And before we knew it, we were staring at a screen, looking at our unborn child._

"_There's your baby, Amy."_

_She smiled, tears welling up. "Yeah…there's the baby." She whispered, looking at me, and I kissed her gently.  
"She's beautiful, Amy." The doctor said, and I looked at Amy and then at the doctor. "She?" I asked._

"_Yes…you two are having a daughter. Congratulations."_

_Amy grinned, looked at me and kissed me._

"_I'll print off some pictures for you guys and I'll be right back."_

I smiled, remembering that amazing day. She always told me that after that appointment, she knew she wanted to keep the baby and that she wanted me to be the baby's dad.

'What am I doing? She said she wanted _me_. And why in the world am I believing Ricky over her…the woman I love?' I asked myself. And with that, I left the park and headed home to see Amy.

**PLEASE REVIEW! I'm so excited for the show tonight!! If anyone wants to talk about it, PLEASE message me!! ahhhh**


	9. Chapter 9

**This is for AshGurl2897. Cause the poor girl STILL hasn't been able to watch the show...So hopefully this will entertain you until it's up on youtube!!**

"I'll be back with Ava, Ames." Leo said, walking into the living room holding Ava's car seat. He picked her up and put her in the car seat and came over to hug me.

"He'll be back, Ames."  
"I just hope he doesn't hate me." I whispered.

Leo pulled away from me and shook his head. "He doesn't hate you. I promise."

I nodded. "I hope you're right." I said, tears welling up in my eyes.

"I'll be back, Amy…just let me know." He starting walking towards the door with Ava and I stopped him.  
"Any idea when Ben's coming home?" I yelled after him.

"No clue, Amy…He'll be home. I know that much. Good luck." He said, and with that, left.

I sat on the couch and sighed, laying my head back. I heard my phone ring and looked at it. _Restricted_. I sighed, and pressed the talk button.

"Hello?"  
"Amy…it's me."

"Ricky?"  
"Yeah."  
"What do you want?" I asked, angrily.

"Sorry. I had to block my number because I knew you wouldn't answer if you saw it was me."

"What do you want, Ricky?"  
"I wanted to apologize. Amy, I didn't mean to cause problems between you and Ben…but the fact that you call Ben Ava's dad…it just…I don't know. It made me angry. I wanted what he had. I wanted to be Ava's dad."  
"Look…Ricky…I can't trust you right now. And you can come see Ava, but there are conditions."  
"I'm listening."

I continued. "When you come over, Ben is going to be here. At least for a while. Cause right now…well…he left right after you did and I have no clue where he is or when he's coming home. But I shouldn't keep you from seeing your daughter just because you were an idiot and made a move."

Ricky laughed. "That's good enough for me."  
"And Ricky?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I will tell Ava that you're her father...but when she's old enough to make the decision, it's HER decision whether she wants you to be her father. If she chooses Ben, then that's her decision."  
"But he'll always just be the step dad. I'm her father."

"Ricky, I know that. I just…I don't trust you not to hurt me…to not hurt her. I know you say you want to be involved and that you love her, but I don't see it yet. But Ben has shown me from the beginning. I love him. And he loves me…and our daughter."

"What if she doesn't choose Ben though?"  
"Then that's a bridge we'll have to cross later."

He sighed. "I guess that's good enough for now. I just want to see Ava. And I want her to know that I'm her father. Not Ben. Me."

"I know, Ricky…Listen…I think I heard Ben pull up, and I really don't think it's a good idea that when he first comes home after us getting in a huge fight, he hears me talking to you."  
"I understand…um…call me when things get better. And I'm sorry for problems I might've caused you and Ben. I'm really not interested in you that way…honest."  
"Thanks, Ricky. I'll call you next week or something."  
"Sounds good. Bye." And with that, he hung up. I sighed, looking out the window. I saw Ben walk up the sidewalk and to the front door. I opened the door, and he smiled weakly. I moved out of the way so he could get in the house and I shut the door after him. I looked at him, tears in my eyes, and hugged him tightly. He pulled away from me, then kissed me, with more passion than he ever had before.

"I'm such an idiot, Amy. I love you."  
"I know. I love you too."

"And I know you don't love Ricky."

I smiled. "Good. Cause I don't. But we really do need to talk about Ricky."  
He sighed. "I know that."

I grabbed his hand, walking into the living room. I sat on the couch and he sat beside me, facing me.

"What's wrong?"  
"I just got off the phone with him."  
"Oh." He said, looking down.

"Ben…don't do that."  
"Do what? Be jealous?"  
"There's nothing to be jealous of!" I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"Continue…you talked to Ricky…and?"  
"He wants Ava to know that he is her father."  
"Oh." Ben said, in that same disappointed tone.

"Ben…there was this quote on a card I gave my dad for father's day years ago…it said something along the lines of 'Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.' And that's what you are, Ben. You're her dad. Ricky is her father, but you're her dad! Ben…do you realize how important and amazing that is? Not only to me, but to her?"  
"But what if she doesn't want me?"  
"Ben…honey…what are you talking about?"

"What if when we tell her that Ricky's her father, she'll want nothing to do with me?"

"I can't imagine that happening…"  
"But what if it did, Amy? Nothing is certain."

"That's true."

"So why don't I just step aside and let Ricky in?"  
"Is that what you think I want, Ben? For you to step aside?" I asked, standing up, my voice getting louder and angrier with every word I said.

"Cause it's definitely not." I continued. "Ben…how many times do I have to say it? You're her DAD, Ben! There is nothing more beautiful than a dad with his daughter."  
"But it's not ME, Amy! I'm not her dad!"  
"Yes you are. And I KNOW you love Ava more than anything in this world. You ARE her dad. Whether Ricky likes it or not. I will tell her someday that Ricky is her father, and then it is her decision whether she wants him involved or not. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. She's JUST now a month old, Ben. We have time to sort this out. So please, don't worry and don't leave us. I need you now, Ben. I'm in love with you." I whispered that last sentence, sitting down again, holding his hands in mine.

"Ben, look at me." I requested, and he looked deep into my eyes.

"You are Ava's dad, Ben. I don't know how many times I have to tell you this before you believe it. And she loves you, Ben. And I know you love her. So please…stop worrying about the future. Whatever happens happens. And there's nothing we can do about it. All we can do is hope for the best. But remember, Ben…not everyone you love is going to leave you."

He kissed me, tears welling up in his eyes as well. "I'm sorry…it's just…I don't know…this overwhelming fear that I would lose Ava came over me. I don't know what I'd do without you guys."

"Ben…your mom left. She had no choice, Ben! Anyone who has a choice won't leave you! I know I didn't."  
"You almost did." He pointed out.

"I know. But I didn't. Cause I couldn't bear to be without you, Ben. And Ava will feel the same way about you."  
"How do you know?"  
I shrugged. "Apple doesn't fall far from the tree?"

He laughed. "I love you, Amy."  
"I love you too, Ben."

"And please…don't do this again. I love you. Please don't doubt it."

He smiled, laying down on the couch, enveloping me in his arms. And for once, everything felt right in the world, and I was exactly where I belonged.

**Review?**

**The show was AMAZING tonight! I can't wait for next week! YAY!!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Not my best, but at least I wrote SOMETHING! Haha. I don't own "Everything" by Michael Buble. I just put it in here cause it's absolutely my FAVORITE song right now.**

After that huge fight, everything was amazing between Amy and I. I was still trying to come to terms with how Ava was going to react on that fateful day when we broke the news that Ricky is her real father. I shook my head, trying to get that thought out of my head. I loved Amy, and I loved Ava, so it would all work out for the best.

Amy was at the mall with Madison and Lauren, apparently for some "girl-time." I smiled. She deserved to hang out with her friends like a regular teenager, and even said she didn't want me to go along. "Maybe she's tired of me." I said to myself, jokingly.

I heard Ava cooing through the baby monitor and I smiled, getting off of the couch in the living room and walking into Amy's room.

"What's wrong baby girl?" I asked, picking her up out of the crib. I looked down at her face, and I swear I saw her smile at me. The biggest, most beautiful smile I had ever seen…other than Amy's of course. My cell phone began to ring and I quickly pulled out of my pocket. "It's mommy." I told Ava, acting like she understood what I was saying. I opened my phone and answered.  
"I love you."  
I heard the smile in her voice. "I love you too, Ben." She laughed a little and I smiled.

"What's up? Are you ok?"  
She laughed again. "I'm fine. Just checking up on my baby."

"Oh..I'm just fine." I said jokingly.  
"I meant Ava…"

"Oh I know…just humor me, Amy." She was rolling her eyes. I just knew it. "Ava's fine. Just woke up from her nap."  
"Oh good. Just checking."  
"Amy…"

"Yes, Ben?"  
"Stop worrying. She's fine. She's spending some time with Daddy today." I said, grinning.

"Ok…fine. I'll call you when I'm coming home."  
"Don't worry about being home, Amy. I mean, of course I want you to come home…but I have bottles to feed her. We're fine. We're having fun."

"Ok. Thank you, Ben."  
"You're very welcome. I love you."  
"I love you too." And with that, she hung up. I looked down at Ava and smiled. "Mommy worries too much." She just stared up at me with this 'Ok…whatever' look on her face, and I smiled. "An attitude _already _Miss Ava? You're only 2 months old. Wait for that until you're at least 13."

I fed Ava her bottle, then rocked her to sleep while watching a movie, and sure enough, we both fell asleep.

"Ben…Ben! Wake up!" I opened my eyes, seeing Amy standing above me.  
"What time is it?" I asked, rubbing my eyes and yawning.

"About 5:00. Last time I talked to you was 2:00."  
"We've been asleep that long?" I asked, quite surprised.

She nodded. "You and Ava both. She's STILL asleep." She laughed, looking at Ava and then back at me again.

"I'm gonna go put her in her crib." She said, taking Ava from my arms, then kissing me gently.

I stayed in the chair until she came back. I moved to the couch, and she sat beside me.  
"Did you have fun?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her.

"Of course. Thanks for letting me get out. I needed that."

I smiled. "Anytime."  
"You know…if you ever just wanna get out and do stuff with Henry and Alice, I understand. It's perfectly fine, Ben."

"But I want to spend time with you and Ava…"

She chuckled. "I didn't say you couldn't spend time with us. I just meant that if you ever want to get out, you can. Just because we're together doesn't mean you have to spend every waking minute with me."  
"Sure it does."

I paused for a minute.

"Can I ask you something?"  
She nodded. "Of course."  
"Will you dance with me?"  
She laughed. "Ben…in the middle of your living room?"  
"Why not? I'm trying to be more romantic and spontaneous. You have to give me credit."

She laughed again. "Ok."

I stood up, taking her hand in mine.  
"No music, Ben?"  
"You underestimate me, woman." I said, walking over to the CD player and started the CD.

"You planned this?"  
I nodded. "Just a little reminder to show you how much I love you."

I held her tightly in my arms as we danced, and as I gazed into her eyes, I knew I was the luckiest man alive.

_You're a falling star, You're the get-away car.  
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.  
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.  
And you're the perfect thing to say._

_And you play it coy, but it's kinda cute.  
Oh, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do.  
Baby don't pretend, that you don't know it's true.  
Cause you can see it when I look at you.  
_

_And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times  
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.  
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything._

_You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,  
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.  
You're a mystery, you're from outer space,  
You're every minute of my everyday._

_And I can't believe, that I'm your man,  
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.  
Whatever comes our way, we'll see it through,  
And you know that's what our love can do._

_And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times  
It's you, it's you, You make me sing  
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything._

_And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times  
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.  
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.  
You're every song, and I sing along.  
'Cause you're my everything._

She smiled up at me.

"Really?"  
I nodded. "Of course. Nothing less."

She kissed me, then rested her head on my shoulder as she hugged me tighter.

"You're my everything too, Ben. Thank you for rescuing me."

**Ugh…I didn't like that chapter at all. Just randomly thought of it, but I wanted to write SOMETHING for you guys, cause I don't like that I haven't updated since Tuesday.**

**Please review!**

**Maybe suggestions?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Again, not my best and not the LONGEST, but at least it's something!! Thank you for being patient with me!!**

I heard a knock at the door, and turned, looking at the clock, seeing that it was 1:00am. I groaned, putting on my robe and walking over to Ava's crib, making sure that she was still asleep. She was, and I smiled, walking out of the bedroom, shutting the door softly behind me. I walked downstairs quickly so that whoever was at the door wouldn't knock again and wake Ava.

I opened the front door, shocked to see Ricky on the other side. It was raining, and he was absolutely drenched. He smiled awkwardly at me.

"Hi Amy."  
I smiled. "Hi Ricky. What's going on?"  
He sighed. "I was over at Adrian's…she and I got in a huge fight."

He paused and I crossed my arms. He looked down at the floor then back up at me. "You think I could sleep on the couch for the night?"

"I don't know, Ricky…I mean…with Ben…"

"What about me?" Ben interrupted, walking downstairs and standing behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"He and Adrian got in a fight…" I explained to Ben.

He nodded. "No problem. Come on in!" Ben said, opening the door the full way, allowing Ricky to walk in.

Ricky walked towards the living room and I looked up at Ben, questioningly. "Just trust me." he whispered and I nodded reluctantly, taking his hand in mine and following Ricky into the living room.

"Um…There's a bathroom down the hall…" Ben told Ricky, pointing it out to him.  
Ricky nodded. "Thanks." He said, grabbing his bag and walking towards the bathroom.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked Ben, and he nodded.

"If you guys can be friends, why can't we?"  
I shrugged. "I think it's difficult for both of us."  
"Obviously…but for Ava I think we should at least try."

I nodded, then heard Ava crying out of the baby monitor. I stood up, then Ben stood and put his hand on my arm.

"I'll get her."

I nodded. "Thank you."

He smiled at me, kissed me gently on my cheek, and then walked upstairs to get Ava and bring her down.

Ricky emerged from the bathroom, walking into the living room.

"Thanks, Amy."  
I smiled at him. "So…what was the fight about?"  
"Ava.." he said quietly.

"Oh…I figured."

"Yeah…she asked me to spend the night, and then she went off on me because I told her that I wanted to come see Ava soon, then told me to leave."

"Ricky…wouldn't you think that getting me pregnant would be enough motivation to keep yourself from having sex for a while?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"I'm not the one that was pregnant."  
"But I was, Ricky! This is NOT what I wanted for myself. I mean, Ben's great and I am in love with him…we both love Ava…but Ricky, being a parent isn't easy. You're NEVER here for Ava, so why in the world would you risk having another baby with Adrian?"  
He rolled his eyes. "She's obviously more careful than you are."  
"Oh please, Ricky. You think I wanted to be a teenage mother? Cause I didn't!"

"Am I interrupting?" Ben asked, standing in the doorway.

"No…he was just explaining to me that he got in a fight with Adrian after having sex with her."

"You act like it's a big deal, Amy. It wasn't. It was just me and Adrian doing what we do best. That's it."  
"Ricky…you don't get it, do you? You can't just go around acting like this never happened. You could end up getting some other girl pregnant…and not every girl is as lucky as me and has an amazing boyfriend to help her out. Ricky…you LEFT! You completely walked out on me and Ava, and I'll never forgive you for that!"  
"Then why are you letting me stay here?"  
"Because, Ricky…I don't want to be the type of person that _you _are. I thought maybe being nice to you would actually do us some good. But turns out I was wrong about that too."

I stood up, and Ben stood as well.  
"I'm going up to bed. I haven't been feeling well and Ava hasn't been sleeping. I'm not in the mood to deal with this."

Ben and I walked to the bottom of the stairs, and even though Ben continued walking up, I turned around, looking at Ricky.

"I just need some time to think, Ricky. We need to talk about this…I know we do…it's just…" I sighed. "I'm not ready to talk about this because I can't imagine thinking of someone else as her father."

Ricky looked at me, and I looked awkwardly down at the ground then back at him.

"If you're still here in the morning, we'll talk." And with that, I went upstairs, without another glance at Ricky.

**Please!! if you have suggestions, let me know! I'd love to hear them, and who knows...maybe I'll use it! ;) Reviews welcome and appreciated, as always. Thanks guys! You're awesome!!  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**So I JUST started classes on Wednesday and I've been SWAMPED with work. College KILLS! Taking Anatomy and Physiology AND Psychology?! Both require me to read about 1 50-pg chapter each day...true, might not seem like a lot, but the concepts are REALLY hard to grasp, so that's what I've been up to! So there's my excuse as to why I have not updated...But here's a chapter...I just randomly thought of it after I finished my psychology, and it only took me about 45 minutes to write, so I hope it's ok! Ok..that was a really long rant. Sorry, guys. Without further ado, here is chapter 12!**

"Do you really think this is the best thing?" Amy asked, shutting my bedroom door.

"Yes, Amy. I do." I replied sincerely, sitting down on the rocking chair in my room.

Amy paced around the room and I sighed.  
"Come on, baby…what are you thinking?" I asked her.

"I'm thinking that it's not fair." She said softly, her voice breaking. I saw tears welling up in her eyes and I walked up to her, hugging her close to me.

She sighed, leaning her head on my shoulder.  
"I absolutely hate this." She whispered.  
"I know you do…"I said, rubbing her back.

"It's like…he has NO consequences…whatsoever!" She pulled away from me and I sighed.

"Amy…"

"No, Ben! He got me PREGNANT and LEFT! I mean…what kind of guy DOES that? He wanted nothing to do with me OR Ava! It's not fair. He can just pretend like this never happened…but I'm a MOTHER now, Ben! At 15! I didn't think I would have kids until I was at least 30!"  
"Things don't always work out like we plan.."  
"I know, but why did this happen?"  
"You slept with him, Amy." I whispered and she glared at me.

"I didn't even know what was happening until it was over."  
"You knew you wanted to have sex with him!"

"Ben, I did NOT! And you know what? I regret it every second…cause as much as I love Ava, every time I see you, I feel guilty for having sex with him…and I feel angry with myself because I didn't wait for you. And I hate myself for it."

"Amy…don't hate yourself." I said, sitting on the bed and patting the mattress, motioning for her to sit next to me.

"I'm surprised you don't."  
"Amy…I could never hate you. I love you. More than anything in this world. And I want nothing more than to be your husband for the rest of my life…but Amy, I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't jealous of Ricky."

"It really was awful, Ben."

I looked questioningly at her and she laughed.

"Bad sex, Ben." She clarified and I nodded.

"Well…maybe someday it won't be so horrible."  
She smiled. "I love you, Ben."

"I love you too, Amy." I kissed her and she smiled, laying down on the bed.

"So what do we do about Ricky?" I asked, laying beside her.

She laughed. "I wish I knew, Ben. I wish I knew…something. Anything. I just have this horrible feeling that if I let him in, he's gonna completely desert her once he realizes how much work babies are, and even at that young age….it could still hurt her."  
I nodded. "I agree."  
"But at the same time, as much as I hate it, he's her father and he has a right to see her."  
I nodded. "I hate it, but I agree."  
"So what do we do?" I asked.

She sighed. "I think that you and I have to become friends with Ricky before I can even let him be a part of Ava's life. I want to wait until she's 18 and can decide for herself whether or not she has anything to do with him…he's just such a jerk. He claims that he's changed, but I just don't believe him."  
"Then why would he say he's changed if he hasn't? Who's he trying to fool?"  
She sighed. " Most likely some girl..."

"Maybe he is trying to get you?" I asked, frowning.

"Ben…even if he is, I love YOU…not him…YOU! And besides, he and Adrian have that ongoing relationship going…"  
"If you even call it a relationship. More like free hookers."  
She laughed. "I heard some rumors about him and Grace right before I left."

"Ricky and Grace? That's interesting… Jesus freak and bad boy man whore?"  
She raised her eyebrow, looking at me and smiling. "Man whore?"  
"Well isn't that what you would call him?"  
She shrugged. "I don't know. Does it really matter?"

I laughed. "I guess not."

We laid in silence until Amy rolled onto her side, propping her head on her hand.  
"So what do we do if Ava grows up like him?"  
I rolled my eyes. "Amy…she has you and I as parents…what can go wrong?"  
"Well…I am a slut."

I rolled my eyes. "You are not a slut, Amy Juergens. I promise."  
"I had sex with a guy I don't even love…what's wrong with me?"  
"Stop rubbing it in…" I said sarcastically. "Are you trying to make me insanely jealous?"  
"No…of course not." She said, winking.

"I love you, Amy."  
"I love you too, Ben…I'm tired of talking about Ricky tonight…I just think we need to tell him that we need to become friends and trust him before we can even trust him near Ava…and I want you and I to be there when he's with her too…I just don't trust him yet…I never have trusted him…"  
"Well then, that's what we'll do. Amy, stop worrying about it! It'll all work out for the best! It's not like Ava's going to want to leave her mommy." I said, winking and kissing her.

"You better get to bed. I love you, Mrs. Boykewich."

She looked at me, confused.  
"Just getting some practice."  
She smiled. "Goodnight. I love you too." She said, getting off the bed and walking to the door. She opened it, looking back at me and smiling, then walked out the door, shutting it behind her.

I laid down again, sighing as I put my hands behind my head.

I guess all I could really do at this point was hope and pray that I wouldn't lose my daughter or my fiancé to that man-whore drummer boy…

**Please review, as always...and if you have suggestions, send them my way! thanks, guys!!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! Sorry, things have been crazy with me! Death in the family last week, I'm sick, and I'm have so much homework that it's pathetic! But I'm back!! I tried to add this HOURS ago, but the server wasn't working, for whatever reason. Anyways, here's the next chapter. ENJOY!  
**

I woke up, looking at the clock and seeing that it was 8:00. "That's weird…Ava slept in this late…" I said to myself. Ben and I were up with her at about 1:00 and then again at 4:00, but I figured she would've been up earlier than this. I shook my head, getting out of bed and walking over to Ava's crib, only to discover that she wasn't in it.'Ben must be up with her…' I thought, walking into Ben's room, and found him fast asleep on his bed, and Ava was nowhere in sight. I sat on the side of Ben's bed, shaking him awake.

"Where's Ava?" I asked.

He sat up. "I have no clue."

I looked at him, worried. And then that worry turned to anger. "If Ricky took her, I swear to God…"  
Ben kissed me quickly. "I'm sure my dad has her."

I rolled my eyes, running out of the room, Ben running after me, running towards the kitchen.

"I swear, if he took her, he can kiss everything…" I paused, walking into the kitchen. "…goodbye." I whispered. What I saw amazed me. Ricky was making pancakes and feeding Ava. I laughed at the sight of Ricky cooking and he smirked at me.

"What? I can't make pancakes? Just because I'm Ricky Underwood means that I can't make pancakes?"  
I laughed. "Yes!"

"I told you it would be ok…" Ben whispered to me and I kissed him.

"I know. You were right." I whispered back, kissing him again.

"Thank you. It's nice to be told that every once in a while." He whispered back to me and I laughed, kissing him gently once again.

"How's my girl?" I asked, pulling away from Ben and walking over to Ricky, who was cradling Ava in his arms as he fed her a bottle.

"Here. You take her. I'm exhausted and the pancakes are burning."  
"Told you it was rough…" I said, taking Ava into my own arms and kissing her forehead.

"You staying for breakfast, Ricky?" Ben asked, getting the plates out of the cabinet.

"If it's ok, I'd love you." he said, smirking at Ben. I could tell he still didn't like him…

"Orange juice, babe?" Ben asked, interrupting my thoughts, as I looked over and saw him peering into the fridge.

"Milk." I corrected.

"Me too." Ricky said, and Ben grabbed the jug, pouring each of us a glass. He set them on the table, walking back over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my neck gently.

I smiled, looking at Ben, kissing him.

"Oh please….you two really do this in front of Ava?"  
I smirked, turning back to face Ben. "Can you go grab her bassinet for me? So we can actually eat…"

He nodded. "Absolutely."

He grabbed it from the living room, placing it in between my seat and his seat. Ricky stacked pancakes on the plates, them set them on the table.

"You really didn't have to do this." I said, as I sat down. Ben put Ava in the bassinet, then sat down beside me, holding my hand in his. I smiled, looking at him, then back at Ricky.  
"I wanted to. You guys let me stay here, which you didn't have to do. So I thought I should do something nice for you guys. Look...Amy…Ben…I know you guys have each other, but I really want to be involved in Ava's life. I want to step up and be a better man. Because Amy, you and Ava both deserve better than what I was to you. And I'm sorry. But please…give me a chance to be better. Give me a chance to be there for Ava…and for you guys. Just from this morning, I know that raising a baby isn't easy…but I think I owe it to you to try. When you guys go out, let ME babysit. When you have to study, let ME come over and watch her. When you two just want to sleep, let ME be with her. That's all I'm asking for. I'm not asking Amy to love me. I'm just asking for some time with Ava. That's all. And if we all become friends in the process, so be it. I'm not looking to destroy your relationship because Ben, you're a better man than I'll ever be, and a better father than I'll ever be. Amy, I was just scared to turn out like my father."

I looked at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"  
He paused. "I thought you knew."  
I shook my head.

"Amy, my dad sexually abused me as a child. I didn't want to end up like him. I didn't want to end up without my daughter. But then I realized that I'm NOT him. I can be better and Amy…I promise to."

I looked at Ben and smiled. He smiled too.  
"Ok." We both said.

"But if you ever hurt Ava, I swear…" Ben started and Ricky cut him off.

"I won't hurt Ava. I promise."

**Hmmmm…I'm not sure if I even like this chapter. Not the longest, but at least it's an update! Please review and let me know what you think!! I'm thinking of cutting this one off in the next couple chapters and then doing a sequel...I don't know. Or should this just be an insanely long story?**

**Anyways- review! Thanks for reading, as always.**


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